Category Archives: Biggest Bang for your Buck

“Gain” A Beautiful Smell

Every time I go and visit my parents up in Washington, I always leave their house with the best smelling laundry. You may think I’m crazy but truth be told, I enjoy doing our laundry up there as I know there is a guarantee of freshness to be had in our suitcase upon arriving home in Oregon.

With a brand new front loader washing machine, I couldn’t figure out why our clothes simply were not smelling fresh, let alone clean. It was beyond me. I was making our own laundry detergent and opted to take a break as I thought this was our culprit. As I bought the most expensive brand on the market, Tide, I was still utterly unsatisfied. I was using laundry softener and still had no success.

My husband works out all the time and sweats like crazy. It’s pretty gross and I will save you the pain of too many details other than he smells like a sewer rat when he’s done. Sick! I love him dearly, but wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole after workouts. It’s almost as if a rat died after walking around in cow dung for days.

Okay, I said I would spare you the pain and I think you get my drift that the odder is very prominent and unwelcomed.

One afternoon I called my mom desperate for some help. I’m not sure if she really helped me as her answer to my question was no good. I asked what detergent she uses and she replied “whatever is on sale.” I immediately countered her response because if that were true, her laundry would not always remain consistently smelling delicious. We proceeded to go around and around in circles with very little information for me to grasp onto other than: “Buy what’s on sale and do not buy tide. It is a waste of money.”

Her comments were helpful but on the other hand they weren’t. I wanted exact information, brand, scent, size, etc. She said she sometimes buys Arm & Hammer, Gain, Purex so on and so forth and she said it so lackadaisical. So with that in mind, I immediately returned Tide since that was my detergent of choice earlier that day. My reasoning was simple: Go big or go home. $20 later I returned Tide to purchase Gain.

I tried Gain for no other reason except out of all the detergents my mother listed, this is one I had yet to try. Racing home to test the clothes saturated in sweat, I was thrilled upon my discovery. It worked, it really worked. The moment I pulled the clothes out of the drier, my nose was filled with such a refreshing scent. No more sewer rat, no more cow dung. It was a beautiful moment I about wept over the pile laying within my arms. I held my embrace for minutes as I sat overjoyed by this wonderful discovery. It was priceless.

Thankfully I shed no tears over the clean, bountiful, fresh scent. But this my friends was the cure. The cure to our devastation. The cure to the wretched smell that clung so tightly. This was the cure; GAIN. I will shout it from the roof tops. My husbands scent officially removed (well, the bad scent at least).

Thank you to: crazy-frankenstein.com

Moment of Truth: If you are having a rough time with your clothes, please consider Gain and Downy Original scent fabric softener. These two combined were the end all be all to our troubles.

Many of us spend too much money grocery shopping. Whether a family of 2 or a family of 6, your budget can be tamed.

Tip #1: Know what you have.

Make a list and scrounge your cupboards for items you are running low on or are completely out of.

Walking into the store with an idea of what you need always leads to trouble. My husband and I made this mistake this past weekend. It was thunderstorms all day Sunday and we had to resort to plan B as walking along the waterfront would not be a safe option now. So, I needed some groceries and ideas on what to make for the week as I was leaving town. I wanted to leave him with some meal options as I would be gone four days prior to him leaving.

While we were at Costco, my mental list of 2 items quickly turned to 14 or so. Although, I tend to spend a lot of money at Costco because I really like their deals, this time was solely my husband. He doesn’t go grocery shopping often as Cooper and I tend to do it during the week; he became a kid in a candy store while sampling all the food and looking at all the books, clothes and frozen snack food. As you know I tend to not purchase a lot of boxed snack foods because I can typically do it for cheaper and healthier. So, needless to say, it’s critical to make your list and stick to your list.

Tip #2: Make your meal plan.

Before you run off to the store, make your meal plan. Know what you have in your house and what you are lacking. Make your meal plan for 7 days. Knowing what you will be making saves on costs as you will not be running back and forth to the store to get last minute items. It will save you time and money.

Tip #3: Look at whats on sale.

Look for what’s on sale when shopping. If you need a couple dinner ideas for the week, use the sale items to become your next meal. IE If hamburger is on sale, purchase hamburger for the versatility of a meal that same week. Many things can be made with hamburger. Again, know what you have for side dishes.

Shopping with sale items will keep your budget lower.

Tip #4: Pantry Items.

I’m big on having a stocked pantry. This has helped keep me from running to-and-fro to purchase little items. Here’s some ideas for stocking up:

By doing so, when you go to make your meal plan for the week, you wont have to worry about the small pantry items as you will already have them.

While you are shopping, if you find a product that is such a great deal, buy it. Do not just buy one, stock up. This will help grow your pantry for items as well. If you see a good deal, follow through and keep pantry stocked. (Read more about pantry deals here)

Tip #5: Know which stores to shop.

Before you head to the store, know which stores have the best deal going on. If Safeway as their sales, than maybe consider going there over Fred Meyers. Follow the sale. You can typically find the 1 one get one free or 50% off. It’s important to follow the sale when you head out to conquer your list.

Tip #6: Coupons or Price Match.

If you have local coupons, take them in. Don’t be shy about your coupons, walk with pride knowing you don’t need to pay full price for anything. Couponing can take time, but is worth saving money as well. My best advice with coupons…… DO NOT buy something unless you need it. That’s where coupons become a disaster. You find a coupon for a Gillette shaver, buy one full price shaver and get $2 off. Do you really need a shaver or is the deal so good you can’t resist? These are the questions you must ask yourself. So remember, when couponing, only look for the coupons that match your grocery list or stock your pantry on.

Price match. Most stores will price match for you. If you know Safeway has a deal on milk and you are at Fred Meyers or Walmart, typically they will price match for you if you know what the cost of the milk is at Safeway. You simply have to ask. Something I used to be fearful of but realized it saves me from driving to five different stores just for their deal.

Tip #7 Do not shop while hungry.

This may bring laughter to your soul but there is a sad truth in this. When we are hungry and isle after isle portray a longing of sweets, chocolates, carbs and so on, our brains tell us to purchase items we do not need. There is scientific proof to hungry shopping and purchasing items you typically wouldn’t give a second look had you not been hungry. The other battle is grocery stores strategically place items at eye level to grab your attention. Subconsciously you take in thousands of items that look incredible but are oh so unhealthy for you. Be aware of your own state and take a snack with you before you shop if needed.

If you follow these tips you will tame your grocery budget. It’s worth a try and it’s worth making your own products as well. They are healthier and cheaper!

If you want a cheap date night or family night, look for your local movies in the park. In Oregon, you will find them all throughout the Portland-metropolitan area. In our own neighborhood we have them every Friday night, and just one stop further, we have them every Thursday night.

This has been a great past time memory that we have participated in since Cooper was born. And although Cooper hasn’t been old enough to enjoy the movies, he has enjoyed playing in the park and having a picnic. Last night was fabulous. The weather was perfect, overcast skies, and an over zealous baby! He was beyond happy and content pushing his little truck around, playing in the water and most of all…playing with his mama. ;)

We went 2 hours early to the park to enjoy some time playing around and also because I wasn’t sure if Cooper could manage that late of an evening. We got home at 9:30 about 45 minutes after the movie was set to begin. Cooper had a blast and so did I.

This is a great water park

Ready-Set-Go

And he’s off…

Playing in the Water

And out of the water

Trying to wear mama’s shoes

Taking a breather from playing

Mommy and me

Adorable

Getting ready for the show.

Making himself comfortable

Oh what a night… so many activities took place just while hanging out in the park for one night. Tired little boy slept extremely well!

From exciting to dull… I have been going through my closet on a ‘what not to wear’ basis. My husband had mentioned that I have so many clothes and don’t wear half of them. Emphasizing the “so many clothes” part, as my husband is a true man with style but does NOT understand a woman and their deep obsession with clothing.

If you have yet to read the initial post about my wardrobe, click here.

So it all began 39 days ago. I have been going 39 days strong…until last weekend where I began contemplating tossing the remainder of my clothes because I simply don’t care for them. “Are they in style” “Do they still fit me” “I don’t like the way this shirt lays” “This one has the wrong color swatch for the days mood” so on and so forth. I could make every excuse in the book and then some. I truly did not like anything in hanging in there. So, I decided it was time to go for a swim and avoid the topic all together. Okay, so maybe I didn’t actually go swimming, but that was a good thought that may take place next time I have this same conversation with myself while looking at my rugged old wardrobe.

Thanks to theartofsimple.net

So, as promised, I took the vow to wear all of my shirts (weather appropriate) before wearing a top for the second time. If I do not wear it, I will toss it. I’ve only tossed two thus far and have donated two with tags still on to my mom and sister. I enjoyed my outfit today and have thought to myself many times throughout the past 39 days, why I haven’t worn a few shirts more often. Eh, my husband may be right…

The truth hurts my friends. Going through your closet can be refreshing and some shirts are very exciting to wear again. My husband was right, I have many shirts that I barely wear, and all for no good reason.

I will update once I reach the end of the line in the closet and let you all know whether I tossed them, wore them or gave in and quit this dumb ol’ bet.

I made this deal with my husband recently as I have continually heard that I have so many clothes in my closet and hardly wear half of them. Same with my shoes, he commented a week ago that I wear sandals all summer long and never wear most of my shoes, so what’s the point of having them? With that in mind I decided I would wear all my shirts in the closet once before repeating a shPostsirt. If I simply refuse to wear it, than I will toss it out. I wanted to show that there is a point to all the hanging clothes and shoes that sit there. They will be worn for that one particular occasion and though it may only be once, it will get worn.

So far I’m on day 12 and it hasn’t been too bad yet. He also points out that there are many items in there still with tags on them. I told him I like to purchase a top and wait awhile before I wear it as it is a nice surprise down the road. :)

He has asked twice now if one of the tops I’ve worn is new, I hung my head low and said “no, it’s just been awhile.” We are keeping up with this quite well but I know I will hit a low and not want to wear some of them but also will have to commit to my agreement and toss it if I don’t wear it.

I will keep you up to date and would recommend most of you women should probably try this out and see how far you get before you simply don’t want to wear that shirt you bought awhile ago and only worn once.

Moment of Truth: Sometimes you simply don’t like your style after you have a baby and have to re-shop for the latest trends.

I LOVE perfume. If you saw my closet you would find multiple fragrances within. Most of them have been gifted to me, but there are the occasional scents I buy myself. I must confess the BEST place to purchase NAME BRAND fragrance is at TJ Maxx or Ross.

There is no difference between the fragrance other than simply saving money rather than purchasing the same perfume at Macy’s or Nordstrom at full cost.

Here are my top 4 perfumes:

Viva La Juicy $92 at Macys 3.4 oz

Compared to $39.99 at Ross 3.4 oz

Juicy Couture $72 Macys 1.7 oz

Compared to $34.99 Ross 1.7 oz

Versace $89 3 oz

Compared to $45 TJ Maxx 3 oz

Armani Mania $78 Macys 3.4 oz

Compared to $34.99 Ross 3.4 oz

Moment of Truth: Don’t buy full price when you don’t have to. It’s a waste of money and there is always a better deal out there. The only difference with Ross or TJ Maxx is you can’t smell the fragrance before purchase. So know what you are looking for in order to make your purchase inexpensive and well worth the dollar.

Although my son is almost 2 years old, I felt the need to share this all with you since this is what my experience was becoming a new mother…

Haven’t we all heard the grumbling that babies don’t cost anything the first year? I truly believed that statement when we had our little munchkin. But let’s back up a bit; around the second trimester we really began shopping around for the nursery; we had nothing considering this is our first time around. I started gathering ideas for the nursery and ended up loving Noah’s Ark theme. I registered for baby showers at Babies R Us and thoroughly enjoyed the look of Noah’s Ark. I wanted to branch out a bit and go for a different theme and color since so many baby boy rooms are blue. I landed on orange and brown with a bunch of cute little zoo animals.

Now, I greatly appreciated the many gifts given at our baby showers, but it is never enough to cover a first time baby. We had to get a crib, rocker, dresser, clothes, swing, diapers, bassinette, and diaper changing table, highchair and many more gadgets. You get the picture. Being as I love to find deals on quality items I began my hunt early. I decided I would look on craigslist to see what they had. Trial and error I presume. I found a crib and decided to have my husband stain it to match the color of the furniture I had envisioned. In the process of him staining this I also found a rocking chair I absolutely loved. It was painted black so it had to be stripped to the wood and stained as well. This began a huge project neither of us realized we had a mountain ahead of us. All the rings on the crib and side of the rocker were very time consuming. Being as my husband was such a sport with all these projects, he kept at it and made it our little project together. I would sit with him while he sanded and I helped stain as well. We even took this to my parent’s house up in central Washington about 5 hours away to get as much help as possible while we visited one weekend. We really took advantage of making this a family project. :) Once we realized how much work it was, I decided to go to Ikea and get a dresser that was unfinished so it wouldn’t involve sanding; we could jump straight to the stain. At this point I got the crib for $40 which included a Sealy Mattress. The rocker I got for $20 and bought the dresser from Ikea for $60, totaling $120 for furniture, this was a steal and I was super happy with my findings as well as my husband being a great support and giving a helping hand to our sons nursery.

As we began to assemble the crib once the stain had dried, we realized something wasn’t quite right… the side of the crib was supposed to slide up and down, but it wouldn’t lock. It ended up being a “daybed” not a crib. After all the commotion we realized the safety of our little one was really important and we needed to invest in another crib. It was unfortunate after all the time we had invested thus far but knew it had to be done. Through talking with my sister, her neighbor happened to be selling their crib they bought two years ago from Babies R Us. She was willing to sell it for $40 as well. So now we were out $40 but at the same time a crib costing $80 you can’t find at the store, so we were still pleased. Honestly this crib was way more sheik and just the right color we didn’t have to color touch it at all. We put the crib together and the room began to look just as I had pictured.

I happened to run across a picture that I kept prior to the problem with the “daybed.” I knew at some point I would love to make this happen. Well now that we have our extra crib we will be doing this project in our next house. :)

Now that we had most the furniture we began looking for clothes, a bassinette, and swing. My sister was pretty good friends with her neighbor that she started pulling things together from her two little boys that are about 18 months older than Cooper. Just enough age difference that we began collecting bags of clothes, shoes, toys, and even a swing. This swing was barely used and is still at Babies R Us to purchase for $170. I got this for $40 along with two large bags of clothes.

Now the bags of clothes her neighbor friend was giving us was name brand clothes such as Gymboree, Baby Gap, Nike, and Carters, Nike and Hurley to name a few. They were all in great condition and were 0-3 months. We were basically stocked on newborn clothes. Since then we have continued to gather clothes for each age group and I am set until age 2. Garage sale season also began while I was about 7 months pregnant and my sister snagged the cutest little vibrating bassinette for $10 along with my sister giving us their car seat (she has a little girl that’s why a car seat has been the only thing given by them; gender neutral). I started feeling as though we had the big things accomplished and was feeling really good about everything. The nursery was finally finished! YAY!

Fast forward a few months, more like 12 months; here we are 9 months into the birth of our first son. I will go back to my comment that babies don’t cost anything the first year. Apart from doing an entire nursery, clothing our child, making sure he has diapers which already cost quite a bit he is in a highchair, needs a new car seat, needs new toys and more. Again, babies do cost and they cost a lot. This is a huge fairytale others must be living in to honestly believe the first year doesn’t cost much. It actually may be the biggest cost having to purchase everything all at once. The second baby actually may be cheaper because we will have all the furniture and it happens to be gender neutral. The clothes will be the cost if we have a little girl because I will not dress my little princess in the clothes of my little prince.

We have hit that age where his car seat is so uncomfortable for little Cooper. He loves to sit up right, which he can’t quite do in the newborn car seats, they lean back too much for Coopers liking. His feet also hit the back of the seat, poor little man. So finally I began the research to embark on this new purchase that won’t be cheap. How expensive was this really going to be? I had to research safety in convertible car seats so we wouldn’t have to purchase another one in the next year. If safety was a concern for me, I had to swallow the reality that it would cost quite a bit more unfortunately. Well, my husband kept getting on me to make the plunge considering we didn’t want to drive around with our son outgrown in his current car seat and I had to agree with him. The very next night we had a “neighborhood clean up,” this allows each house to put as much garbage, furniture, or whatever lying around the house that needed to go out for garbage day. There were washing machines, dryers, couches, bed frames, mattresses, lawn mowers and much more out on curbside. It was such a beautiful day out I decided to enjoy my lunch on the porch and saw our neighbor down the way bring a highchair and car seat to the curb. I didn’t think too much about it at first; as I sat there I really began contemplating the products sitting in my view as I gazed at them with thoughts pouring through my head. I wondered many things and finally after the distractions of the day, I walked down to get the mail and happened to be standing next to the car seat. I was baffled by the condition and the reality that this was a convertible car seat, one that I was in desperate need of. I decided to sneak it up to our house and look it over a little more. Now, we know our neighbors, but it is always a weird conversation asking for their “garbage.” I’ve never really asked our neighbors before for their garbage previously and didn’t really want to have this conversation….ever. So I walked it on up to our driveway and headed back down to get the mail again. My husband got home and I was in the bushes calling out to him in a loud whisper, “babe? babe?” Being my husband, he is very carefree and not so sly with these things. I quietly asked him to grab the highchair and he thought it was funny and walked on up the hill with the highchair in hand. As we reached the driveway he spotted the car seat and starts hysterically laughing. “Nice job babe” he tells me as he realizes this big accomplishment I just embarked on.

The following morning I was so excited to look into the car seat and see how used it really was. This thing was basically brand new. It looks the same as the current one in Babies R Us just a WHOLE lot cheaper. Now you must know this about me, I am not the type of person to take things from the curb, let alone other peoples trash. I live in a great neighborhood; safety is fighting for number one in all of Oregon. They may have a couple people like me who take things from the street while most of the city is wealthy, high maintenance families who can afford anything and everything and don’t give things on the street a second glance. Now had we lived in another area I wouldn’t jump all over this find because you do need to be careful about car seats and things that have to do with safety for your kids but I must say I was very excited. The more research I did, the more I realized what a steal I found, literally. ;) Britax is one of the top names and I was so excited to have found this one.

The highchair also looks brand new. The current highchair we had is cute but also 11 years old. I got it from my sister who has an eleven year old and we have passed this through the family. It actually is in great condition but this new one is super cute and has Cooper’s little animals on it. There are also little wheels that allows it to move a lot easier, and it has a cute little clip that you can attach toys to and outsmart your child. Now when Cooper attempts to throw toys off the side of his highchair they will only dangle down and mommy does not have to give in to this little game he plays. :)

All of this to say, you must be creative in escaping the high cost of having a first born. But…. I must say, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I love my little Cooper Man.

I absolutely love cheese. While I was pregnant I was so sick I couldn’t really eat much nor did anything sound good when I went to eat. The only things I could stomach were the little tangerine “cuties.” I went through boxes of these, literally 15 or more boxes during my first trimester. I would pop 5 at a time. I loved them so much and was so happy they made my tummy feel better. Morning sickness is truly the worst; nothing can actually describe these feelings. The only thing that brought light to my life during these 13 weeks of misery was my cuties and of course knowing I had a little baby I was growing. If you are pregnant or have been pregnant you are the only women who truly know how this morning sickness actually works. It’s a weird concept that eating actually helps the sickness, yet the thought of eating may cause you to throw up, while throwing up makes you not want to eat again. This vicious cycle can’t be tamed.

As my tummy started to settle and my cravings picked up, I began turning my appetite towards cheese as well as my cuties. I have always had a deep love for cheese even prior to pregnancy. I would buy blocks of medium or sharp cheddar cheese and cut chunks and melt them in the microwave. I have pictures of eating my cuties and cheese while my husband downs a bowl of ice cream. I would literally eat this melted cheese with either a fork or my fingers, it was so delicious. You hear the rumors that the husbands gain along with the wife; well I have proof that my weight was not ice cream induced but his most likely was. :) The thought of melted cheese right now actually turns my nose up, but I must say at the time it was fantasy land.

Now that I am post pregnancy I still love my cheese; cold cheese that is. I’ve found that Fred Meyers is one of the best places to buy block cheese for less. They have a refrigerator section at the end of the isles full of cheese. They have a big sign above that says “CHEESE CHEESE CHEESE.” They have sharp, medium, Pepper jack, Monterrey, and swiss. These are decent size blocks that are roughly $2.30-2.50 each. They almost always have these cheese piles and you can get a variety for a great deal.

Trader Joes also has cheese for an impeccable price. They have authentic cheese and delicious soft cheese for a good deal. We loaded up on cheese from there for our wedding and had many different platters full of many different tastes.

Here’s a few pics:

Display case for Hors’ devours

Cake Pops for the guests!

Fred Meyers and Trader Joes, I’ve found have the best bang for your buck for block cheese. Costco on the other hand has the best deal for shredded cheese. I buy the double bag for $12-15 depending on the kind. I have a container I use for the fridge, and constantly fill that with the remaining cheese I keep in the freezer. It’s a way better deal to purchase this in bulk rather than buy a couple smaller 8 oz or 16 oz bags from your local supermarket. This will last you a long time even if you are a household such as mine that enjoys their cheesy meals.

Ever wonder if you are paying too much for your hair products? I do!! When I step foot in the salon and pay for my haircut, color, and products I am stunned by the time my credit card is swiped for the three beautiful things that currently took place. I love beautifying myself and the insane feeling you have when you walk out of the salon feeling as though you have transformed into a new woman.

My pocket-book on the other hand has a different feeling! :) The five-minute trim that barely took place and finished before I could blink my eyes cost $68 and then there’s the hair product that will last roughly four weeks costing another $50 and the color….well lets not discuss that as you all know how much hair color goes for these days. Anyway, you get the picture, although I am estimating the actual costs I am sure almost every one of you have experienced this a few times. You swear to yourself you wont fall into the trap next time and purchase the incredible products they use on your hair but it seems almost every time you see the magic take place you have no option but to succumb.

I have a deep love for dry shampoo. My hair is beyond fine and extremely thick. Washing it once a day would be ideal as the fineness becomes oily almost instantaneously. Using this incredible product allows my hair to proceed to day number three quite easily. And if I must be honest, sometimes I go four days and have an “up do” to make it another day without washing it. Oh the dreadful day of hair washing.

I’ve used many different brands of dry shampoo and hairspray and of course all the salon products are pretty amazing. BUT….are salon products comparable to department store? First let me say…you get what you pay for. My husband and I have had this conversation one too many times as he married a cheap wife. I am beyond frugal but I will admit sometimes I am extremely cheap and almost embarrassingly cheap. I’ve had to reevaluate my frugality verses cheapness.

My cheap side comes out when I run out of my expensive product. I seem to rotate my successful product worth a lot of money with my embarrassingly cheap products leaving my hair a bit embarrassing. In the midst of my cheapness I have found a couple of product that I absolutely love.

You know how hairspray can leave a build up, making your hair stand up like cardboard keeping absolutely no bend in the strands, keeping the hair impossible to brush through as the cement you sprayed did beyond it’s job? I HATE this! So, I have found the salon product called Bedhead is absolutely amazing and exactly what I enjoy. But on my cheap days, I was beyond thrilled to find a brand from the department store that was honestly incredible. I am kind of embarrassed to say which brand I found as it is not normally considered to be worth your money. But- because I feel I have developed a deep love for this product I must share it with all of you.

Suave Salon Professionals verses Bed Head-

It smells absolutely amazing and there is no chemical smell left behind in the scent. No white residue or crusty hair that is impossible to brush through. I was beyond SHOCKED how much I enjoyed this product. The greatest news of all was this product only cost $2.88. Yup that’s right, less than your coffee for the day. I must say Suave is a NEVER buy product for me but I was desperate one afternoon for something life changing and that is what I found.

This is a must try product!

Bed Head is amazing, but it is only worth the money on occasion. Again- I believe some products are worth the money and others aren’t. I honestly feel Suave Professionals Touchable Finish is a great comparison. (I haven’t tried any other Suave hairspray and most likely wont)

Now for dry shampoo-

I did try Suave Salon Professionals and was NOT impressed what-so-ever. Steer clear! I have also used Tresseme brand and felt so-so with that; definitely not convinced. I have found certain products aren’t comparable and this is one of them. KMS brand from the salon IS worth the money; every penny spent it well spent! Definitely smells good, no white residue, doesn’t leave a film in your hair and smells fabulous.

In the same breath, if you want something that is comparable than Oscar Blandi is very good. I found this product for half price and was thoroughly impressed; bought it for $8. you can purchase this item on Amazon for $14.50. The comparison was very poor between Oscar Blandi and Suave. Oscar beat out with miles in between.

Along with Oscar Blandi, KMS Hair Play is my dry shampoo go to. Costing around $25 from the salon or for a great deal $15+ shipping on Amazon. If you can purchase Oscar Blandi for $8 than go for it. I wouldn’t pay full price for Oscar Blandi as KMS is a couple dollar difference and definitely a real winner to go with high quality.

So… with my great frugality and cheapness I was left to find products worth the money and products definitely to stay away from. :)

Sometimes you get what you pay for, other times you don’t. I have found through my deep obsession with Sephora that not everything is worth the price or thatgood of quality. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE Sephora, I love makeup and I love face lotion and masks.

I have found certain products aren’t worth the high price tag. Face Primer to be one of those products that I feel is just as good of quality if not better than the high priced primer I bought at Sephora.

Recently I was running out of my Benefit face primer (it only lasted three weeks) and was on the hunt for a primer that would last longer as it was $31. I was in the department store the other day with Cooper and I were looking at all the primers and found Revlon Photo Finish Face Primer for $10.97. Cooper enjoyed this product as he can pop the lid on and off. :)

Benefit was .9oz for $31

Revlon was .75oz for $10.97

The price was triple and had less product.

I used the photo finish face primer and really loved how it went on. This is a product I will continue to buy and continue to save.

Stay Connected

Snapshot

Hi Y’all! My name is Tiffany Cook, also known as Delightfully Doable. I am a small town girl currently living in the city. I’m a housewife and a mother trying to make my way through life. Welcome to Delightfully Doable; I hope you find many delightfully doable options through my site as well as honesty and truth knowing we are all on this path we call “life” together; delighting in doable circumstances.